Yet another reason to get your HAM license.

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
So how many of you are on the fence about getting a HAM certification? In this day and age its probably a good thing to do now even if you are not into radio gear or RC stuffs. I have been wanting to get mine but do not have the ability to travel to testing sites which seem to average 25 + miles away from where I am minimum. WAYYY too far for shoe leather express.

Anyways I came across this as it pertained to my wondering why my computer ALWAYS has 24 to 56 kps average data spamming 24/7 EVEN after I lock all network traffic in my firewall. This invasion AND theft of services really pisses me off simply because the legal loop holes inherent in a "EULA" which you now MUST accept before most electronic devices will even activate. You HAVE NO CHOICE when EVERY thing has this going on now.

So watch this and throw your comments out. Im not going to participate but its something I think more people need to be aware of.

 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
So how many of you are on the fence about getting a HAM certification? In this day and age its probably a good thing to do now even if you are not into radio gear or RC stuffs. I have been wanting to get mine but do not have the ability to travel to testing sites which seem to average 25 + miles away from where I am minimum. WAYYY too far for shoe leather express.

if you did the studying, you might be able to find someone willing to give you a ride to the test site to take the test. Either way the knowledge is rather useful this day and age.

you just pointed out why I don't have any IoT/Smart stuff in my house and one of the reasons why I run LInux on my machines and am looking at one at getting one of the Linux phones when I next need to replace my phone.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
I did all the technician class study guide tests BEFORE doing any reading to see where I stood years ago probably 2016-2017 ish. This was the base line check I did..
Hamtest.jpg
 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
IIRC you should have no issues passing then. would just need a ride and the few $s for the test fee.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
Test was free when I took it. It was held in the "bunker" for emegency services in a nearby county.
I do Linux, and custom network gear. DO NOT USE the wifi all in one routers that have disk sharing, printer sharing, etc etc services built in. The more crap they install on a router, the less secure it is. You really should have a dedicated firewall, and seperate wifi access point. Any IOT devices (which i don't use) should be on a dedicated IOT network that does not have access to your other devices. What really stinks is all this junk is being bundled into everything including TVs and other appliances, opening up who knows network services to the internet.

Time to unplug it all and burn candles.....

LB
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Test was free when I took it. It was held in the "bunker" for emegency services in a nearby county.
I do Linux, and custom network gear. DO NOT USE the wifi all in one routers that have disk sharing, printer sharing, etc etc services built in. The more crap they install on a router, the less secure it is. You really should have a dedicated firewall, and seperate wifi access point. Any IOT devices (which i don't use) should be on a dedicated IOT network that does not have access to your other devices. What really stinks is all this junk is being bundled into everything including TVs and other appliances, opening up who knows network services to the internet.

Time to unplug it all and burn candles.....

LB

If not candles maybe just the :poop:bag companies stuffing this in everything. Be a MUCH better world late 1800's to early 1900's where everyone worked for what they had, minded their own business, were not whiny little snowflakes that tear up when someone says hello to them and were not plugged into every electronic devise made. (but we could still keep 2.4ghz radios and 5,8ghz fpv gear)
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
The conceps in "1984" were considered outlandish, sci fi. (Remember, it was written in the late 1940's) How would you get a recording device in everyones home? Who would possibly monitor all of that? Now people are lining up to buy "alexa" Devices whos sole purpose is to listen, why would they care about the tv, printer, phone? SMH

Too many people are complacent about their freedom. They've never known anything different. Worse, many seem to actually crave chains and shackles. Many live is such bubbles, endless food on store shelves, running water and cheap electricity in their homes, they have no concept how thin the veneer of polite society is. Just by living out in the sticks and being independent you begin to realize that, within a single week you could run afoul of a dozen alphabet soup agencies; FCC, EPA, FDA, ATF (sorry, AFT im told now) BLM, FAA, USDA... and not to mention state or local ordinances.

Welcome to the land of the free.
 

Matthewdupreez

Legendary member
yikes..
that video increased my awareness........
The conceps in "1984" were considered outlandish, sci fi. (Remember, it was written in the late 1940's) How would you get a recording device in everyones home? Who would possibly monitor all of that? Now people are lining up to buy "alexa" Devices whos sole purpose is to listen, why would they care about the tv, printer, phone? SMH

Too many people are complacent about their freedom. They've never known anything different. Worse, many seem to actually crave chains and shackles. Many live is such bubbles, endless food on store shelves, running water and cheap electricity in their homes, they have no concept how thin the veneer of polite society is. Just by living out in the sticks and being independent you begin to realize that, within a single week you could run afoul of a dozen alphabet soup agencies; FCC, EPA, FDA, ATF (sorry, AFT im told now) BLM, FAA, USDA... and not to mention state or local ordinances.

Welcome to the land of the free.
agreed living out in the sticks.. is freedom...

i wonder whether apple is doing the same thing???
but they are constantly punting their security from hackers... but how about security from Apple? themselves
 

Matthewdupreez

Legendary member
i guess, there are various things you can do to decrease the chances of being spied on... but in the end you have no other option but to submit, and not become obsessed with being "safe". i mean it's the 20th century, things are now listening to practically everything... you just have to stop looking at it as if it is a disadvantage, and start discovering how you can use it for your own benefit.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
I am not as worried about the intended purpose the manufacturers have for their products as the unintended consequences that happen because they neglect to secure their devices properly or provide patches to fix them after they are released. The more "features" a device has, the more bugs it will inevitably have. Lack of patching and support for devices is just getting worse as time goes on. When hackers take over these inadequately secured devices, things go bad quick. The guy in the video is very alarmist on many points exagerating the capabilities and distances of the protocols and chips. He never really explains how having a HAM license is helping him. What he really needs is Network protocol and security knowledge and wireless sniffing gear. None of which requires a HAM license. I am a licensed HAM, and have been working in the fields of computes and networking for several decades. The real issue is the majority of projects and products are designed with security and support in hindsight rather than as a priority. Get it to market as fast as possible... Reactive support rather than proactive.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
I am not as worried about the intended purpose the manufacturers have for their products as the unintended consequences that happen because they neglect to secure their devices properly or provide patches to fix them after they are released. The more "features" a device has, the more bugs it will inevitably have. Lack of patching and support for devices is just getting worse as time goes on. When hackers take over these inadequately secured devices, things go bad quick. The guy in the video is very alarmist on many points exagerating the capabilities and distances of the protocols and chips. He never really explains how having a HAM license is helping him. What he really needs is Network protocol and security knowledge and wireless sniffing gear. None of which requires a HAM license. I am a licensed HAM, and have been working in the fields of computes and networking for several decades. The real issue is the majority of projects and products are designed with security and support in hindsight rather than as a priority. Get it to market as fast as possible... Reactive support rather than proactive.


I think from what I saw he says the HAM is for a low power tx to scramble or block those transmissions within his legal domain. I think the exaggeration is to make people aware and get them to unit to fight this practice now BEFORE (and we all KNOW this will happen) the data these transmit will become more detailed and gubments and jonny law will use this to their benefit. Being governed by the F.C.C. THEY do not need a warrant to come onto your property and into your domicile in search of potential devises interfering with other devises. They cant look in drawers and closets but they CAN observe and report things they see to other law enforcement as is their "Duty" in performing their job tasks. We all know how these alphabet entities are beginning to cooperate and work in tandem. Real property seizures is a thing and is fast becoming a means of income for these law enforcement agencies. If they can get in the door for free they will.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
The only time you can jam an RF signal is in a faroday cage. Your signal can not jam the airwaves outside that type of environment. There is no fight. The big corporations have already one the battle. This isn't about your gubment acronyms, it's all about corporate greed, selling services instead of products, and tracking consumers for big data.
 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
The only time you can jam an RF signal is in a faroday cage. Your signal can not jam the airwaves outside that type of environment. There is no fight. The big corporations have already one the battle. This isn't about your gubment acronyms, it's all about corporate greed, selling services instead of products, and tracking consumers for big data.

That was true long before all of this FCC rules against interfering with other devices have been around for a long time.
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
No need to live in fear (yet) but its crucial that people become aware and not complacent because it doesn't take a big stretch of the imagination to see that this could have dangerous consequences.

Dont trust the government, regardless of political party. Dont trust any corporation. And sure as heck dont trust whatever this bizarre unholy alliance of new technology, corporate greed, and government power is.

Be an American, think critically, question everything. 😉
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
This isn't about your gubment acronyms, it's all about corporate greed, selling services instead of products, and tracking consumers for big data.

I generally agree with this sentiment, but with an important caveat. Big data is no different than any other villian of history.

This is not that much different than the changes we went through when we transitioned from European imperialism to the industrial revolution. My favorite quote from the time is from MGen Smedley Butler USMC,

"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

I love his "boots on the ground" perspective but some of the criticisms he leveled at capitalism were shared by the same people who would bring about the rise of communism, an ideology that would lead to the death of hundreds of millions in the coming century. Ideas that start with truth, and the best of intentions can still lead to pathological outcomes. The last century can be looked at historically as one long war, starting at WW1 which directly caused WW2, which led to the cold war and its small hot spots like korea and Vietnam, and finally some more or less reasonable, albeit tenuous peace by the 1990's

Now we are in the tech revolution and the balance of power has been shifted even more than it was leading into WW1. Do we need another century of death and violence to sort it out? Lets hope not, but be wary that if we can think and reason our way through it this time that it will be the first time in recorded human history that it will have happened.

Be grateful for the peace we have while it lasts.

I know we try to stay out of politics here, and i love that, so i hope you all can appreciate my attempts to stick to history vs politics to make my point.

So to tie my ramblings from history, back into philosophy, and ultimately, my point, we are at the same point in history our forefathers were a hundred years ago. Will we make the same mistakes or will we learn from our past.

Only time will tell.

Hope for the best,
Prepare for the worst,
And in the meantime, lets fly some toy airplanes together! Lol
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
So to tie my ramblings from history, back into philosophy, and ultimately, my point, we are at the same point in history our forefathers were a hundred years ago. Will we make the same mistakes or will we learn from our past.

Only time will tell.

Hope for the best,
Prepare for the worst,
And in the meantime, lets fly some toy airplanes together! Lol

I think for myself and do not associate with any party. One can hope people learn from the past and do not repeat the atrocities.

Let's FLY!

LB